Site Test: Coil Siding Nailer

"Look for lightweight, well-balanced models and wire collations"

Coil nailers that can shoot a 21/4- or
21/2-inch-long siding nail are among
the newest air guns on the market.
This is one nailer category that
holds particular interest
to my company.
The Farrell Company
will do about $3 million worth of remodeling
business this year, all in a very high-end residential
market. Each year, we install several
thousand square feet of various types of wood
siding — including finger-jointed redwood and
wood shingles, as well as manmade horizontal
sidings, such as fiber-cement board and premium
hardboards. For this work, air guns excel.
In our labor-competitive market, we can't afford
to do this nailing by hand. But we also can't
afford to mess around with overdriven nails,
jams,